#the writers mention that they left Unity with an open ending regarding Romana bc they weren't sure if Lalla would be back for TW4

[fortes-fortuna-iogurtum]

maybe an unpopular opinion, but the more I think about it, the more I continue to believe that TW4 should’ve not brought Romana back (or at least not brought her back so easily)

most of the issues with that boxset are that the stories feel disjointed and the characters have no time to reconvene after the events of the previous boxsets. nothing ties them all back together. not to mention that the emotional buildup and character development surrounding Unity flies completely out the window. which actually stinks a lot, because Unity was a good story, and I would’ve loved to see the entire series move forward revolving around the axis it established. instead, it feels like cheap emotional manipulation with little to no pay-off--in the end, they just repeated the “Romana and Leela aren’t getting along oh no :(” directly followed by “and now they’re back together and everything is fine :)” thing the series has done at least three times by now, and nothing new happened with it.

but what if Romana had really been lost to them and now they were all rallying back together in her absence? that would’ve been the perfect way to reunite what’s left of the og Gally Gang (Leela and Narvin +/- Brax) and move them forward as a team, as they struggle to find their identity without Romana to guide them, and make their final attack on Gallifrey in her name.

on this altered premise, Beyond could’ve been written as a primarily Brax-centric story, instead of trying to find purchase on a shifting middle ground between focusing on him, Romana, and their relationship, without fully committing to any one of those things (just think how interesting it could’ve been if there had been two versions of Brax from the beginning, representing the different aspects of the character, getting to the heart of why he’s there and what his true motives in the Time War are? or even a more abstract construct such as the ones the Doctor faces in Zagreus, forcing him to confront his own feelings and fears and motivations? the story could’ve still ultimately ended in the same way if the writers had chosen, but then at least Brax’s motivations would’ve been a little more clear. maybe using the Parallax to destroy the Daleks would be the direct means to bring Romana back? or maybe not, maybe it’s still ultimately about Brax’s god complex and his desire to be the saviour of the universe by ending the Time War [an explanation that still rankles me, because Brax has never been characterized that way in Gallifrey before. but i digress.] regardless, instead of muddling together a few different interpretations of the character and never quite making the whole point of the story clear, we would’ve had a strong, introspective, Brax-centric story that explores why he does the things he does in a interesting, nuanced way)

and with these changes in place, Homecoming would’ve been so much more powerful as a story in which Leela and Narvin, with or without the addition of Brax, return to Gallifrey to commemorate Romana with their final stand!! all the stuff with Livia and Mantus could’ve still happened without it making the episode feel so crowded (it still could’ve been toned down a bit, or shuffled around to play out in the background of the other stories so Homecoming could’ve focused more on the Main Gang, but hey, even if not, it wouldn’t have been nearly as distracting as it ended up being in the version we got). ultimately, there would’ve been a much more powerful emotional arc as the rest of the main gang wrestle with the loss of Romana. TW3 had a lot to do with the themes of allowing people to make their own choices, free will, and individual agency--TW4 would’ve carried that forward by exploring how those who are left behind continue to go on while honoring those choices. it would’ve been a really powerful theme, I think, and moved these characters into new places they haven’t been yet.

and obviously, with Romana’s ending left exactly where it was at the end of Unity, there’s nothing saying she couldn’t have survived. she would’ve been in the perfect place to do literally anything the writers wanted with her (the exact same spot the writers have left Narvin in, actually), and having her out of the picture would’ve forced the other characters into new territory and formed a more cohesive theme throughout the boxset.

of course, with these changes we also wouldn’t have gotten some of the really great parallels at the end of Homecoming that I’m still in love with (in a way that means I’m increasingly heartbroken, disturbed, and horrified the more I consider them). we wouldn’t have gotten those incredible moments with Leela and Romana on the Dalek ship, either, which I have to admit, I’d be really sad to lose (you would never give up your soul; you are far too enamored of yourself/are you calling me arrogant?/you have good reason. I would never give up your soul either. still not over that, probably never will be)

but we also wouldn’t have Romana’s weirdly OOC reaction to Brax’s “death”(?) and causal mentioning of it throughout Homecoming in a way that really doesn’t sit well with me, and maybe just better use of Brax in the story overall. hopefully we would’ve had more in-depth interactions between Leela and Narvin (and specifically a better farewell scene between them + Romana, because really, what was that????), and even Livia hopefully would’ve gotten a better end to her arc than randomly being shot by a Dalek and supposedly dying because she’s... out... of regenerations... I think??

so yeah. that’s my take. Romana’s exit in Unity and the build up to it throughout TW3 was so good that the writers should’ve left her there for now, and centered TW4 around the concept of the rest of the gang trying to move forward without her.

I’m horrible at knowing how to end stuff so instead I’ll just *Katniss bow* and leave you all with these thoughts while I return to studying. (and please feel free to argue with me about these if you want!!! I’ve love to hear if other people have different opinions on how Romana should’ve been used in TW4, or if you think the way they handled her was fine as it is and the problems with TW4 are elsewhere!!)